1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to a data processing system and more particularly to a system for augmenting reality. Still more particularly, the present disclosure relates to methods and systems for combining physical and digital data to create an augmented reality related to multi-layer composite structures.
2. Background
Traditional methods of evaluating damage and developing potential repair scenarios in a production environment are currently based on two dimensional documentation and generalized procedures dictated by the drawing based environment being used in the design process. This requires a user to have the two dimensional documents on hand, along with supplemental reference information, in order to be able to correctly identify the location at which a repair must be made, as well as to ascertain what the maintenance and repair history is relative to the operations that need to take place.
Composite structures tend to be harder to find a specific physical repair on, and the repairs are more critical, due to the integrated nature of composite structures. Composite structures may be fabricated of multiple composite plies cured in a resin matrix. A composite structure of multiple plies may include a number of plies positioned below a surface of the structure that are not visible to visual inspection. Repairs to the composite structure may also include repairs to some of the layers of the composite structure but not all layers of the composite structure. A repair such as a patch may itself include a composite structure of multiple composite plies cured in a resin matrix, and the patch may be joined to an existing, separate composite structure. Once a repair or a patch is joined to the composite structure, the underlying structure may no longer be visible.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to have a method and apparatus that addresses one or more of the issues discussed above.